1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance imaging apparatus.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In document U.S. Pat. No. B1-6,339,717 a medical examination system, particularly a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus is disclosed showing the above described architecture. The apparatus has a host computer unit, a control computer unit and an image computer unit. The three computer units are integrated in a commercially obtainable personal computer that contains at least two of the said computers, preferably all three of the said computers. The integrated hardware architecture is further operated also by a commercially available operating system such as Windows® or other kinds of operating systems. Part of the hardware and specifically, the units for driving the apparatuses specific exciting and receiving units as well as the analog to digital and digital to analog converters for transforming the digital control signals in analog signals for controlling the driving units and for transforming the analog received data in digital data, are housed within the frame of the nuclear magnetic resonance apparatuses, while the conventional personal computer hardware is housed in a separated case or console. Thus U.S. Pat. No. B1-6,339,717 teaches to separate the said personal computer hardware from the nuclear magnetic resonance excitation and receipt unit.
Although the use of commercial hardware in the form of personal computer already contributes to lower costs of the apparatuses, a considerable amount of hardware is reproduced in each machine. The computational power of each such personal computer hardware is not completely exploited by carrying out the control and processing functions of only one machine.
Furthermore, a particular kind of medical examining apparatuses, particularly of magnetic resonance imaging apparatuses, is getting more and more interesting for the user, due to its lower costs, to the reduced dimensions and to the more simple way to install it. Such apparatuses are the so called “Dedicated MRI” apparatuses which have magnetic structures which are relatively small and which are constructed for examination of only special anatomical districts of the entire body, such as the foot, the knee, the elbow, the head, the shoulder, the hand, etc.
Thus in a bigger medical cabinet or in a diagnostic department many of these specific apparatuses may be provided each one having its own hardware.